Rotary engine.



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APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1905.

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:Rs ca., wAsHmaroN c .UNITED STATES .PATENT .clarion ORIN WILLIAMS, OFDES MOINES, IOWA, .ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HAEFTO J. R. Y HOWIE ANDONE-EIGrILITIJI TOy CHASE@ OF BROOKLYN,

IOWA..

' ROTARY ENGINE.

"Patented Aug. 7, 1906.

Application filed January 20, 1905. Serial-No.` 241,976..

To aM whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ORIN WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful yImprovements in'Rotary- Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a rotary engine of simple,durable, and ineX- pensive construction susceptible of being rotated ata relatively high speed and `also susceptible of maintaining steam-tightj oints between thev piston and cylinder and between the blade and therotary hub, and, further, to provide means for moving the piston in-andout of the rotary hub without shocks or jars toit that might tend toproduce excessive Wear,-and, further, to counterbalance the centrifugalaction incident to the rotation of the sliding piston in the rotary hubat high speed.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement,-and combination of the various parts ofthe device wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a vertical longitudinal centralsectional view of an engine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 shows avertical transverse sectional view of same. Fig. 3 shows a similar viewwith the piston in a different position and with the rotary hub omitted,its outline being indicated by dotted lines, the piston and itscounterbalancingweight being shown in section. Fig.` 4 shows an enlargeddetail view illustrating the relative positions of the pressure-blade,rotary hub, piston, and cylinder when the piston is adjacent to thepressure-blade.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate the engine-bed, on which are thestandards 11, supporting the rotatable shaft 12 of the engine.

The cylinder-heads of the engine are similar, and each comprises a bodyportion 13, formed with -an opening above its center to receive theshaft 12,which opening is surrounded by a packing-box 14, rprovided With`a follower 15. -On the interior of the vcylinder-*head is an annulargroove forming a' perfect circle centered below the shaft l2,

der is `indicated by the 4numeral 17. On top of- .the cylinder are; thesteam-chests l8,.pro

-videdv with valves 19k and steam-inlets pipes 20. Communicating vsn'theach valve-'chamy ber is a steam-inlet 21, which also communicates withthe interiorof a cylinder at thepoint spaced `apart from thesegmentalfrecessL 1:7 Between the steam-chests.` 18; is-:a pressureblade 22,normally; projected ldownwardlyf'a slight distance into the segmentalrecess 17 and adjustably supported in position .by means of thescrew-rods 23. Communicating with the bottom of thecylinder is aneX-haust-port24, controlled by avalve 25. `-This valve 25 is operatedinunison with theshaft 12 by means of a crank-arm 26 on thevalvestemconnected by an eccentric-strap 271With the eccentricv 28 on the shaft12. f

The rotary vhub (indicated by the .numeral 29) is keyed to the shaft 12,and its' periphery is -in the form of a true circle Which projectsupwardly a slight distance into the segmental recess` 17 of thecylinder. `The said rotary piston stands close to the cylinder at pointson opposite sides of the segmental recess 17 The said rotary piston isformed with a radial piston-recess, in which the piston 30 is slidinglymounted. This piston 30 has arod 31 projected through it, and said rod-ralso projects through two annular rings 32, rotatably mounted in theannular recesses of the cylinder-heads. These rings 32 are concentricwith the center of the cylinder and eccentric relative to the center ofthe shaft 12. Hence as the hub 29 rotates within the cylinder the piston30 will be moved radially, `and said parts are so arranged andproportioned that the outer end of the piston will enga e the 'interiorof the cylinder throughout t e' entire path lof'travel of the piston,except :at ythe segmental recess 17. I have provided :forcounterbalancin'g .the piston 302 against/centrifugal action whenrotated at high speedas follows: The numeral 33 indicatesa rod -hav- IOOj ing its ends projected into slots 34 in the centrifugal force upon one'will be counterbalanced by the other. Hence it is possible to adjustthepiston so that it will engage the interior of the cylinder with justsuflicient pressure to form a steam-tight joint and yet not bear uponthe cylinder with such force as to cause undue friction and wear.

In practical use and assuming the hub 29 is -in the position shown inFig. 3 the piston 30 obviously forms a steam-tight connection with theinterior of the cylinder, so that steam contained between the piston andthe pressure-blade may expand and move the piston. The hub is rotated ina true circle, and the rings 32 are also rotated in a true circle g butthe centers of these circles are not in line. Hence the hub and ringsmay rotate at a high rate of speed without shock or jar, and atthe sametime the piston will be moved in and out of the hub, as required tomaintain a steam-tight connection with the interior of the cylinder. Byproviding the segmental recess at the top of the cylinder I accom lish anumber of desirable results. In the 'hrst place the periphery of the hubprojects a slight distance above a line drawn on a true circle aroundthe interior of the cylinder. Hence the hub may be said to projectupwardly a slight distance into the segmental recess 17. The advantageof this is that the piston travels with its outer end in line with thetrue circle of the interior of the cylinder at l all points throughoutits movement. Hence when the piston is in the position shown in Fig. 2it is sli htly below the periphery of the hub, and t ere is no danger ofits striking upon the pressure-blade. However, before the piston reachesthe inductionport it will be moved outwardly to engage the interior ofthe cylinder. On account of the segmental recess 17 thevpressure-blademay project downwardly into the cylinder, or rather the segmental recess17 of the cylinder, and it will engage the periphery of the hub at alltimes. If through excessive wear on the bearings of the shaft 12 the hubshould move downwardly in the cylinder a slight distance, as would bethe case when in use, the value of the engine is not impaired, andperfect steam-tight joints may be maintained between the piston andcylinder and .etween the pressure-blade and the hub by simply moving thepressure-bladegjdownwardly, so that it will keep in contact with theperiphery of the hub. There is no danger of the pressure-blade strikingupon the piston, because at the point where the piston passes thepressure-blade it is withdrawn into the hub. Hence it is not at allessential that the hub engage the cylinder near its upper end, becauseby the construction shown the piston and the pressure-blade themselvesform the means for producing steam-tight contacts with the cylinder andhub, and as long as these are prevented from engaging and striking uponeach other they may be adjusted to take up any wear upon the Workingparts which would tend to separate the upper portion of the hub from thecylinder.

Any of the valve-operating devices may be applied to operate the valves19; but this forms no part of my present invention and for that reasonis not illustrated or described. It is common in engines of this classto have two ports which may be alternately used as inlet and exhaustports when the engine is reversed. In the present engine it is my objectto use one of the ports 21 as an inlet, while the other serves as anexhaust, and when the engine is reversed the function of these ports ischanged. In this way the exhaust-steam ahead of the blade 31 afterpassing the port 24 escapes through the port 21 toward which the bladeis traveling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure-by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a recess in thecylinder-wall7 a rotatable hub within the cylinder arrangedeccentrically and having a portion of its periphery projected beyond theinner wall of the cylinder and into said recess, a piston slidinglymounted in the hub, and means for guiding IOO the piston in a truecircle concentric with the interior of the cylinder.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a segmental recessformed in the cylinder-wall outside of the circle of the interior of thecylinder, a rotary hub mounted eccentrically within the cylinder andhaving a portion of its periphery projectedbeyond the cylinder-line intothe segmental recess, a piston slidingly mounted in the hub, and meansfor guiding the piston to follow the true circle' of the interior of thecylinder throughout the rotation of the hub.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a segmental recessformed in the cylinder-wall outside of the circle of the interior of thecylinder, a rotary hub mounted eccentrically within the cylinder andhaving a portion of its periphery projectedbeyond the cylinder-line intothe segmental recess, a piston slidingly mounted in the hub, means forguiding the piston to follow the true circle of the interior of thecylinder throughout the IIO IIS

' throughout the rotation of the hub, said cylinder formed With aninduction-port therein adjacent to the segmental recess.

5. The combination of a cylinder formed With a recess extending outsideof the inner Wall of the cylinder, the cylinder-head formed with aconcentric annular groove, a rotary hub mounted Within the cylinder Witha portion of its periphery projected into the recess, a piston slidinglymounted in the hub, and a guiding means connected with the piston andinserted in the annular groove for guiding the piston in a true circlearound' the interior of the cylinder.

6. The combination of a cylinder formed With annular vconcentric groovesin the cylinder-heads, rings rotatably mounted in said grooves, aneccentrically-mounted rotatable hub Within the cylinder, a pistonslidingly mounted in the hub, means for connecting the piston and therings, a counterbalancing- Weight slidingly mounted in the hubdiametrically opposite from the piston, and means for connecting thecounterbalancing-Weight With the rings.

7. The combination of a cylinder formed With annular concentric groovesin the cylinder-heads, rings rotatably mounted in said grooves, aneccentrically-mounted rotatable hub Within the cylinder, a pistonslidingly mounted in the hub, means for connecting the piston and therings, a counterbalancing- Weight slidingly mounted in the hubdiametrically opposite from the piston, means for connecting thecounterbalancing-Weight With the rings, and a pressure-blade mounted inthe cylinder to engage the periphery of the iub.

8. The combination of' a cylinder formed With concentric annular groovesin the cylinj der-heads and also formed With a segmental recess in thecylinder-Wall, said recess eXtending outside of the cylinder-line, ringsrotatably mounted in the annular grooves, a rotary hub mountedeccentrically Within the cylinder With a portion of its peripheryprojecting outside of the cylinder-line and into the said recess, apiston slidingly mounted in the hub, a shaft connected With the pistonand rotatably mounted in the rings, a counterbalancing- Weight slidinglymounted in the hub, and a shaft connecting the counterb alancing-WeightWith the rings.

9. The combination of a cylinder formed With eccentric annular groovesin the cylinder-heads and also formed with a segmental recess in thecylinder-Wall, said recess extending outside of the cylinder-line, ringsrotatably mounted in the annular grooves, a rotary hub mountedeccentrically Within the cylinder With a portion of itsperipheryprojecting outside of the cylinder-line and into the saidrecess, a piston slidingly mounted in the hub, a shaft Vconnected Withthe piston land rotatably mounted in the rings, acounterbalancing-Weight slidingly mounted in the hub, and a shaftconnected With the counterbalancing-Weight and slidingly connected withthe rings.

10. An improved rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, its inner Wallforming a true circle, a segmental recess in the inner Wall outside ofthe true circle, a pressure-blade projecting into the segmental recessWith its end substantially in linewith the periphery of the hub, saidcylinder also formed With an induction-port adjacent to the segmentalrecess and With an exhaust-port and the cylinder-heads formed withannular concentric grooves, a shaft eccentrically mounted in thecylinder-heads, a rotary hub on the shaft With a part of its peripheryprojecting into the segmental recess beyond the true circle of acylinder, a piston slidingly mounted in the hub, a Weight slidinglymounted in the hub diametrically opposite from the piston, annular ringsrotatably mounted in the grooves in the cylinder-heads, said ringsformed With slots, a shaft connected With the piston and rotatablyinserted in the rings, and a shaft connected With the Weight andinserted in the said slots in the rings.

GRIN WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

eoHN HoWIE, S. F. CHRISTY.

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